Portable icebox

ABSTRACT

A portable icebox having on one of the longer sides of the icebox body, a telescopic or unfolding extendable handle made of a number of joined sections, housed inside vertical cavities in the body of the icebox. When folded, the handle is housed inside the cavities and held by a transverse fitting element on the base of the icebox, preventing it from being fully released, and with the crosspiece for use of the icebox still protruding when the handle is folded.

[0001] These specifications and the attached drawings refer to a newportable icebox, the improvements to which constitute an evident noveltyin the category of thermal coolers containing ice to conserve food andkeep soft drinks, fruit and other items cool for camping or the beach.The portable icebox, filled with ice, food drink, cans and the like,carried manually, represents an added effort of great difficulty, andmajor improvements have been added making it possible to transport itwith maximum ease and comfort. The structural and constituent featuresdiffer significantly from portable iceboxes known at present so that,together with the qualities of novelty and practical utility, it is feltto be sufficiently well-founded to secure the exclusive privilegeapplied for in terms of its production and sale by the owner company inSpain, as a consequence of this Utility Model registration.

[0002] Essentially, the improved portable icebox which is the subject ofthis registration has, apart from the conventional body and top, at thebase, close to one of the longer sides, a set of two folding wheelswhich can be concealed, operated manually by the user, making itpossible to pull it along: on the other longer side, there is a type ofunfolding handle, which may or may not be telescopic, used to move theicebox when extended and which can be folded flush with the icebox whenit is to be put away and transported.

[0003] Similarly, on one of the ends, this icebox can incorporate anextendable handle with a retracting system incorporating tensing springsat the handle base or around the extenndable bar fitted to the handle,arranged so as to tend to keep the handle retracted and the user mustpull it out, tensing the spring so that when the handle is released, itfolds up under the action of the spring or springs inside the icebox.

[0004] For a better grasp of the general features described above,drawings are attached which show, in graphic and diagrammatic form, apractical design for this improved portable icebox: it is pointed outthat, given the eminently informative nature of the drawings, thefigures there should be examined with the very broadest criteria andwithout any limitation.

[0005] The figures in the attached drawings show the following:

[0006]FIG. 1.—Rear elevation of the new improved portable icebox showingthe arrangement of the retractable handle, here folded for storage andtransport.

[0007]FIG. 2.—The same rear elevation as in FIG. 1, showing the handleunfolded telescopically or in any of the possible forms, at the base ofthe portable icebox revealing the wheels which can be unfolded manuallyby the user making it easier to transport the icebox with a load insideby pulling on the handle, supported on the wheels in the bottom of theicebox.

[0008]FIG. 3.—An upper face view of the portable icebox with its coverand, on one of the longer sides, the extractable handle for handling andmovement.

[0009]FIG. 4.—A face view of the portable icebox from below, showing theplacement of the folding wheels in their compartments, and thearrangement on the longer side opposite of the extractable or unfoldingtelescopic handle, attached the icebox by conventional means at thislower point.

[0010]FIG. 5.—An external transverse elevation of the portable icebox,with a retractable type extendable handle which, in this case, has twotensing springs applying a withdrawal action on a slide with guides fromwhich the handle to pull the icebox emerges.

[0011]FIG. 6.—An external lengthwise elevation view of the icebox withthe retractable handle incorporated in the folded position.

[0012]FIG. 7.—The same external transverse elevated view as in FIG. 5showing the handle in the extended position for handling the portableicebox, where the withdrawal springs remain extended and tensed whilethe user em ploys the handle.

[0013]FIG. 8.—A transverse elevated view of the portable icebox with thehandle out, tensing a withdrawal spring around the pincer which ends onthe handle for the movement of the icebox.

[0014] In all cases with reference to the attached drawings, it can bepointed out that the figures incorporate numerical references with thefollowing descriptions of the features and operation, making it easy tolocate them immediately:—1—is the body of the icebox, with the hermeticseal top—2—to conserve the cold, the body—1—of the icebox has anunfolding or telescopic extractable handle—3—on one of the longer sides,the bottom of which fits inside the enclosure—4—of the icebox body—1—bymeans of the transverse point—5—, so that it cannot be removed whenpulled from the icebox The extendable handle—3—has a number of unfoldingparts—6—making it possible to reach the height required for ease ofhandling.

[0015] On the bottom or lower side of the icebox body—1—there arecompartments—7—along one of the longer sides opposite to that housingthe extractable handle and inside which are the folded wheels—8—whichcan rotate freely; said wheels are secured to the support flanges atpoint—11—in the bottom of the icebox body—1—, so that they can swivel tobe removed and positioned as shown in FIG. 2 to facilitate movement ofthe portable icebox by pulling the extractable handle—3—with therotation and support of the wheels—8—extracted in full and running onthe ground.

[0016] Another useful procedure permitting the handling of the improvedportable icebox which is the subject of the invention is the use of themanually secured handle—12—of anatomical form, with saidhandle—12—fitted to the extendable bar—13—on the transverse slide—14—onwhich the traction springs rest—15—fixed to the bottom of the icebox,running along an inside point and with the slide—14—running between theguide rods—16—arranged vertically. As well, a single retracting springcan be incorporated—17—, around the extendable retractable bar—13—, thatspring—17—secured at the bottom end—18—to the fixed bush—19—fitted ontothe body—1—of the icebox while, at the top, it is fixed at point—20—tothe extendable retractable bar—13—, tending to hold the handle foldedagainst the icebox.

[0017] All the parts of the improved portable icebox which are thesubject of this invention are considered to have been amply describedand it remains only to indicate that said parts may be made in a varietyof materials, sizes, shapes and colours, and constructive variations canalso be added to the design should practice make that advisable, andprovided that this does not alter the essential points of which thisUtility Model registration is the subject.

1. An improved portable icebox wherein, essentially, there is on one ofthe longer sides of the icebox body, a telescopic or unfoldingextendable handle made of a number of joined sections, housed insidevertical cavities in the body of the icebox so that, when folded, it ishoused inside said cavities and held by a transverse fitting element onthe base of the icebox, preventing it from being fully released, andwith the crosspiece for use of the icebox still protruding when thehandle is folded.
 2. An improved portable icebox as set forth in theprevious claim wherein, essentially, on the bottom of the icebox, on thelonger side opposite the one with the transport handle, there arecompartments suitably spaced and deep to house in the folded position aset of two freely rotating wheels, fitted by their rotating shafts toflange-like mounts in turn fitted on a support in the bottom of thecompartments where they are housed, allowing them to swivel and to beextracted so that the icebox can be moved along on the freely rotatingwheels.
 3. An improved portable icebox as set forth in the previousclaims wherein, essentially, the handle mounted on one of the transversesides incorporates an extendable and foldable bar around which or at thebottom end of which, with a transverse slide, there are one or twotensing springs which retract when the handle is taken out: at thebottom end, the spring or springs are secured to the bottom of theicebox and, at the top, they are joined to the central bar or thesupport fitted on it. The entire mechanical assembly with the exceptionof the handle fits inside the body of the icebox.